Looking around online for some good solutions, I found there's a few options out there. Now QuickBooks Online Edition is the leader of the pack for small business for good reason, and their platform is worth every penny, especially if you send out invoices as it will auto-generate them for you. Add in the ability to give your accountant access, never worry about backups, and be assured that you can grow with what you are using, and it's a winner.
Ther cheapest plan is 9.95/month - what if you want to find something comparable, but free? Turns out there are a couple of options.
First, both MicroSoft and QuickBooks offer free, watered down versions of their desktop products, and both ave received many positive reviews.
First, MS offers Office Accounting Express for a free download. QuickBooks has Simple Start.
I prefer the online editions though in my quest to free myself from the desktop and be as mobile as possible. Here are some reviews I found of a few web based QuickBooks alternatives.
I chose to try out Saasu - it looked a little more robust to me, with payroll support for the future, and more. It is 100% free for the accounting packages, with a max of 15 transactions/month, plenty for me.
Saasu.com NetAccounts - easy online accounting » Automate, Connect and Simplify
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Checking In
Going to use this place to sort out some thoughts and post what I'm up to, as well as some development and business-focused experiments.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Getting Real: Free Web 2.0 ebook online
37 Signals has released a book that is a collection of essays about starting and running a Web 2.0 company. There are some gems in here, and it is worth browsing if you have any interest. The also sell PDF and paperbacks, but the content is available online for free.
Getting Real: "Getting Real
Here are the 16 chapters and 91 essays that make up the book."
Getting Real: "Getting Real
Here are the 16 chapters and 91 essays that make up the book."
Monday, February 5, 2007
Blogarithms » Amazon for Infrastructure-on-Demand
Anyone who knows me knows how cool I think Amazon web services are... here is a detailed, yet very cool example, with a diagram, of a website using all three.
Spend time on this if you want to know some of the future of computing...
Blogarithms » Amazon for Infrastructure-on-Demand: "The buzz is building around Amazon Web Services as an application platform. Don MacAskill has been using AWS’ S3 storage service for SmugMug, and according to Jeremy Zawodny, will be talking about it at this year’s ETech conference. Jeremy and others have been experimenting with S3 as storage backup for desktop and laptop systems. Even Dave Winer is experimenting with S3."
Spend time on this if you want to know some of the future of computing...
Blogarithms » Amazon for Infrastructure-on-Demand: "The buzz is building around Amazon Web Services as an application platform. Don MacAskill has been using AWS’ S3 storage service for SmugMug, and according to Jeremy Zawodny, will be talking about it at this year’s ETech conference. Jeremy and others have been experimenting with S3 as storage backup for desktop and laptop systems. Even Dave Winer is experimenting with S3."
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
A VC: The Seminal Web 2.0 Service
Great list....
A VC: The Seminal Web 2.0 Service: "Here are 10 things I've learned from using Flickr:
1) Making online content default to public instead of private creates community
2) Every web service needs to have a profile for every user
3) Users should be encouraged to comment on other user's posts"
... and 7 more.
A VC: The Seminal Web 2.0 Service: "Here are 10 things I've learned from using Flickr:
1) Making online content default to public instead of private creates community
2) Every web service needs to have a profile for every user
3) Users should be encouraged to comment on other user's posts"
... and 7 more.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
New GMail features showcase Google Docs
I've thought quite a bit recently about the feasability of going online 100% with hosted services, and I think it is possible with some planning and accepted frustration, but getting easier all the time.
I have a couple of domains that use Google Apps for email, and also have a space for docs and spreadsheets, and the ability to share docs easily (and the free email service) are quite valuable. Robert Scoble has mentioned that the company he is now part of does everything through gmail and shared google calendars, and I know it will only get easier. As much as I like Office 2007, what is Microsoft to do with these new services, where new features drop out of the sky every week?
Article below about some new features in Gmail... I'm not sure if gmail is out of beta yet, but if you'd like a GMail account, just leave a comment or email me and I will send you an invite.
Fugitive Thought -: "Gmail users receiving attached documents now have the ability to view them via Google Docs and Spreadsheets, which presents a sleek in-browser word processor interface. Emails arriving with a document attached will now display a 'open as a google document' in addition to the usual 'View as HTML' and 'Download' options. "
I have a couple of domains that use Google Apps for email, and also have a space for docs and spreadsheets, and the ability to share docs easily (and the free email service) are quite valuable. Robert Scoble has mentioned that the company he is now part of does everything through gmail and shared google calendars, and I know it will only get easier. As much as I like Office 2007, what is Microsoft to do with these new services, where new features drop out of the sky every week?
Article below about some new features in Gmail... I'm not sure if gmail is out of beta yet, but if you'd like a GMail account, just leave a comment or email me and I will send you an invite.
Fugitive Thought -: "Gmail users receiving attached documents now have the ability to view them via Google Docs and Spreadsheets, which presents a sleek in-browser word processor interface. Emails arriving with a document attached will now display a 'open as a google document' in addition to the usual 'View as HTML' and 'Download' options. "
Thursday, January 25, 2007
iTunes + Netflix = Cancel Cable?
From The Consumerist....
iTunes + Netflix = Cancel Cable? - Consumerist: "A blogger over at ZDNet realized that he could cancel part of his cable, order his shows on iTunes, watch movies on Netflix and save $300 a year.
Last week I came to the realization that with Netflix and iTunes, I would be able to cut out the $50 portion of my cable TV bill and ditch the 80 or so channels I never watch, including 3 shopping channels, 3 sports channels, 6 family channels, numerous foreign language channels, and one Lifetime Channel for Women that my fiance tortures me with. Farewell Melissa Gilbert, Rachael Ray, and Paula Deen! You are thus banished from my home!
I'm currently interested in about 6 shows, all of which it turns out I can get on iTunes. Plus, Netflix handles all of my movie needs. If I'm generous with my iTunes figures, it adds up to about $300 in purchases each year, versus the $600 I pay for all of the 'variety' that Comcast provides me. The old model of just piping junk into my home simply doesn't make sense to me anymore."
The author goes on to say it might be a hard sell for most people, which is probably true.
FYI, I have not had cable for about 5 years now. I stopped not for financial reasons, but because I was plain sick of wasting an evening away on mindless television. I did watch a couple of shows, mainly the Sopranos and Sex and the City, but I downloaded them. Same with movies. Off bittorrent from time to time.
It just worked well for me, and I don't regret it. I do miss some college football, but I'll just head to a bar for a drink when I want to watch a game. So count me as one who saw the light a little early. It is suprisingly easy to drop cable when you want. Luckily, in Birmingham I can buy cable internet without the TV, so I'm not paying for the channels at all.
Ditto with the phone company... I haven't paid BellSouth a dime in a few years. Just went to cellular. That deserves another post.
iTunes + Netflix = Cancel Cable? - Consumerist: "A blogger over at ZDNet realized that he could cancel part of his cable, order his shows on iTunes, watch movies on Netflix and save $300 a year.
Last week I came to the realization that with Netflix and iTunes, I would be able to cut out the $50 portion of my cable TV bill and ditch the 80 or so channels I never watch, including 3 shopping channels, 3 sports channels, 6 family channels, numerous foreign language channels, and one Lifetime Channel for Women that my fiance tortures me with. Farewell Melissa Gilbert, Rachael Ray, and Paula Deen! You are thus banished from my home!
I'm currently interested in about 6 shows, all of which it turns out I can get on iTunes. Plus, Netflix handles all of my movie needs. If I'm generous with my iTunes figures, it adds up to about $300 in purchases each year, versus the $600 I pay for all of the 'variety' that Comcast provides me. The old model of just piping junk into my home simply doesn't make sense to me anymore."
The author goes on to say it might be a hard sell for most people, which is probably true.
FYI, I have not had cable for about 5 years now. I stopped not for financial reasons, but because I was plain sick of wasting an evening away on mindless television. I did watch a couple of shows, mainly the Sopranos and Sex and the City, but I downloaded them. Same with movies. Off bittorrent from time to time.
It just worked well for me, and I don't regret it. I do miss some college football, but I'll just head to a bar for a drink when I want to watch a game. So count me as one who saw the light a little early. It is suprisingly easy to drop cable when you want. Luckily, in Birmingham I can buy cable internet without the TV, so I'm not paying for the channels at all.
Ditto with the phone company... I haven't paid BellSouth a dime in a few years. Just went to cellular. That deserves another post.
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